Always a Woman
by Skybyrd
Summary: Classic BSG - Sheba learns something about herself - f/f SLASH!


Title: Always a Woman  
Author: Skybyrd  
Archive: sure, just let me know the URL  
Warnings: Nice Sheba ahead! ;)  
  
*****************************  
  
"Bojay, who do you think I am?" the words slurred as she turned her   
drunken eyes towards her wingman.  
  
Bojay spluttered the ambrosa he had just taken a drink of as he glanced   
sideways at his tablemate. "Um, Sheba. Daughter of the Legendary   
Cain. Damn good pilot. Hell of a leader." He answered, wondering where   
the frack that question came from.  
  
Sheba nodded shakily. "That's what I thought you'd say." Wasn't there any   
human anywhere that realized she was a woman? The only... person, if you   
could use that term, that had realized she was a female was in instrument   
of Evil. Just fracking lovely. She turned her head to see if she could   
find anyone in the OC who had shown the slightest inkling that they knew   
she was a female. Boomer... nope. He was too enamored of Athena to look   
elsewhere, for all the good it did him. Jolly? Nope. Jolly preferred his   
companions to be a bit less... forceful. Greenbean? She snorted at the   
thought. Not a chance. Not even her own wingman. And then there was   
Apollo. She couldn't really fault him, he'd been too in love with Starbuck   
to even notice her. At least, she thought he had been. She hadn't really   
talked to Apollo since that disastrous kiss in the launch bay. She'd   
waited for Apollo to make his move... and he hadn't, well, not after   
Starbuck and Cassie had broken it off. Not a sectar had passed after that   
relationship had ended and Starbuck had moved into Apollo's quarters. She   
didn't blame either of them, really. It just would have been... nice to be   
loved for a change, to be free to show the softer side of herself.  
  
Sheba sighed, not noticing the strange looks she was getting from her   
wingman. She was very depressed, and other than drinking more and more   
ambrosa, she couldn't seem to forget her need to be loved, as a woman.  
  
"Um, Sheba, you ok?" Bojay's voice was filled with concern.  
  
She started at the question. For Bojay to notice, she must be letting it   
show. Time to leave, now, before things get worse. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just   
feeling my age." She rose, and without a goodbye, or even a glance at   
Bojay's startled face, she lurched from the OC. She needed to find a place   
where she could just be herself, to be alone, and just be Sheba.  
  
She wandered around the Galactica, and she finally remembered Apollo's   
Celestial Dome. It'd be private, that's for damn sure. Blearily, she   
donned some ear protectors, and climbed up the ladder, almost falling off   
several times. But she made it. She settled in, and pressed the button   
that opened the Dome. Staring out at the stars, she began to sober up, and   
started to think about where it all began, how she had gotten herself into   
this mess.  
  
**I suppose it all began with my father. Wanting a son instead of a   
daughter. Making me act like a boy to please him. Damn him anyway. Damn   
him to FRACK! He tried to make me in his image, ignoring the fact that I'm   
NOT him! I'm not even a MALE! And then he has the nerve to be with that   
Cassie! He took the one woman that is everything I'm not, the one woman   
who could and DOES make me feel like a fracking eunuch and makes her his   
companion. I wouldn't have wanted to be a socialator, but for sagan's   
sake, I'd love to be treated, just once, like she is. I'd love to be held   
and protected, love to be wanted, love to be seen as a woman the way that   
men see Cassie. ** Tears started rolling down the warrior's face as she   
realized that the only time she had felt that way, she'd been under the   
influence of Count Iblis. **Oh great, the only time I can feel like a   
woman, I'm under the influence of pure evil!** Soon the tears turned into   
sobs, and the sobs to a keening sound that let loose all the pain and   
frustration that she had been feeling all her life.  
  
She stayed that way for close to a centar, before finally loosing her   
frustration at the situation. All that was left behind was pain, and   
loneliness.  
  
************************************  
  
It had been several sectons since her night in the Celestial Dome, and   
still no solution to her problem. She had started dressing more feminine   
while off duty, but last time, they had been called to a drill, and she had   
been put on report, because she had to stop and change into her   
uniform. So the dresses went back into the closet, and the uniforms became   
her daily wear, once again.  
  
And she was still alone. Thinking about Cassie had given her the nerve to   
try a male socialator, but that didn't work out. She'd been well aware   
that entire time that the only reason he was being nice to her were the   
cubits that were in a nice pile on the table. She'd just gathered her   
things and left, not long after she'd arrived.  
  
Sitting alone in her quarters, she'd settled in for the evening with a   
bottle of ambrosa, the only thing that took the edge off. She'd just taken   
her first drink when the comm sounded.  
  
"Lieutenant Sheba?" A voice sounded as she answered the comm.  
  
"Yes?" The voice was vaguely familiar.  
  
"It's Cassie. Can you come to my quarters? It's important."  
  
"Um, yeah. I'll be right there." Sheba answered, confused. But what the   
frack, she didn't have anything better to do. Except get drunk. And that   
didn't sound very appealing at the moment.  
  
She made her way through the ship that she called home, and very carefully   
kept her mind blank. She didn't want to think about what this might   
mean. Cassie had been her father's companion for so long, and knew him in   
ways Sheba could only imagine. She kept her "warrior face" on, so that she   
didn't have to waste time with those that she saw in the corridor. They   
all thought she was on some important mission.  
  
When she got to Cassie's quarter's, she chimed the lock, letting the blond   
medtech know she was there. Immediately, the door opened. Cassie's face   
was more beautiful than ever, now that she had the confidence to match her   
beauty. She was wearing a simple dress of light blue material that was two   
shades darker than her eyes, shimmering like it was kissed with a thousand   
butterflies. Sheba's breath was taken away with the sheer beauty of this   
woman, and her heart writhed with envy that Cassie could wear something   
like this and no one thought she was being "weird".  
  
"Come in, Sheba." Cassie's voice was calm, but her eyes bore a look of   
uncertainty that had Sheba wondering what she was doing here.  
  
Cassie motioned her to the longseat, and retrieved the remote from the   
table. She turned to the lieutenant and began to speak. "Not long after   
your father.... left, " the medtech paused, and closed her eyes a moment   
before continuing. "I found this tape in my quarters. I don't know how it   
got here, and frankly, I don't care. It's from your father. I haven't   
been able to watch it until recently. Then it took me a while to decide   
whether or not to show you."  
  
Sheba began to interrupt, angry that this woman had held a last   
communication from her father, and didn't share it with her!  
  
Cassie held up her hand, understanding where the other woman was coming   
from, but also knowing that Sheba would understand once she'd seen the   
tape. "Just watch it. With me. Now?" Cassie asked, a hopeful gleam in   
her eyes that Sheba didn't quite understand but couldn't resist.  
  
Sheba just nodded. Cassie pressed the button on the remote, and suddenly,   
her father's face was on the screen, and his voice filled the small space.  
  
"Cassie, my dear, I'm making sure you get this, so in case I   
don't return, you will know. I will always have a special place in my   
heart for you, but it's time that I let you know that I know a few   
things. I know that you loved me in spite of me being a man. I know that   
you have boundless love in you, that is reserved for one who is not   
male. And I know that you stayed with me, even though your soulmate was   
near at hand. And I know that you don't know who that is. " Cain's smile   
was sad, but his voice was strong. He paused, then brightened, as he   
continued. "Take care of my Sheba, Cassie. I have done her a great   
disservice. I have raised her like a son, instead of the woman she   
is. She is the best of me and her mother, refined into one very pretty   
package. She longs for love, Cassie, but she's looking in all the wrong   
places. I don't think she's admitted what she wants, yet." His voice   
choked up. "I won't be able to rest unless I know that you'll watch   
this. You may not watch this immediately, but you'll watch it. And two of   
my favorite people will find what they need." Tears rolled down his face   
as he stared into the recorder. "I think you understand what I mean." He   
shook his head, one final time. Then he smiled his patented Cain smile,   
and nodded to the recorder. "Cain, out!" And the vid went dark.  
  
Sheba sat there stunned by what she had seen. Her father seemed to imply   
that Cassie and she... well, that, well, WHAT?  
  
"Do you have any questions?" Cassie asked in her med-tech voice.  
  
Sheba looked over at the blond woman, and noticed that for all the calm in   
her voice, Cassie's beautiful blue eyes were scared.  
  
"What he said, did he mean that you liked women, too?" Sheba asked hesitantly.  
  
Cassie chuckled. "It's more the otherway. I like women, and sometimes a   
few men." She sighed. "I'm mostly a Lesbian, Sheba."  
  
"But you did love my father?"  
  
"Oh yes! But he was right. I loved him in spite of the fact he was a   
man." She shook her head ruefully. "And he was right that what I needed,   
what I wanted was right under my nose."  
  
Sheba raised her eyes at the tone, wondering if what she was hearing was   
the same thing Cassie was saying.  
  
"Yes, Sheba. What I need, what I want, what I can love is a female   
Cain." With that simple statement, she leaned over and gave the lieutenant   
a kiss, wrapping her arms lightly around the warrior, stroking her hair as   
she held the contact of their lips.  
  
Startled, Sheba almost jumped up. But it felt so right. The softness of   
the lips on hers, the smoothness of the arms around her, the slender   
fingers working through her long hair. She opened her mouth to deepen the   
kiss, and met Cassie's tongue, tasting her first woman. First and   
last. She knew that no moment, no taste would equal this. She pulled   
Cassie closer, and held her tightly, finally breaking the kiss so she could   
breathe.  
  
Catching her breath, she saw Cassie in a whole new way. Not someone to be   
jealous of, but someone who could be her other half, someone she could   
hold, someone who would understand her need to be held. She leaned in for   
another kiss, and this time, Cassie took the lead, moving her hands down   
Sheba's back, caressing lightly. Sheba's desire grew. She suddenly moved   
her hands, needing to feel Cassie's skin. She rubbed the other woman's   
arms up and down, lightly. They broke again, only to stand.  
  
Sheba's desire mounted as she stood and saw the lovely femininty that was   
being offered to her. Her hand raised, and she slowly cupped a blue-clad   
breast, rubbing her thumb over the fabric enclosed nipples. Cassie's eyes   
closed as she felt the warrior take the lead. This is what she had wanted.  
  
Sheba could feel Cassie's surrender to her, and became bolder, running both   
hands over Cassie's breasts, feeling her nipple's harden beneath her touch.  
  
"We need to get rid of these clothes!" Sheba exclaimed, suddenly, needing   
to feel skin against skin. Cassie just smiled and turned around. With   
shaking hands, Sheba unzipped her dress, and Cassie stepped out of the blue   
confection, and turned around. She wasn't wearing any underclothes.  
  
Sheba gasped. A vision before her. Being offered to her.  
  
Cassie stepped forward, and started to disrobe Sheba, first with the   
jacking, kissing and nuzzling as she went. Piece by piece the uniform was   
shed, until the warrior was gone, and the woman stood bare, a little self   
conscious.  
  
Cassie plastered herself to Sheba's body, with a deep kiss, feeling their   
breasts press against each others. It was heaven for both women. They   
moved into Cassie's sleep chamber and continued their exploration of each   
other. They used mouths and hands, tongues and fingers. They explored   
every nook and cranny of each other's bodies. The new sensations swept   
Sheba to a place she didn't know existed. Cassie felt as if she had found   
the other half of herself. Sheba knew she'd never be able to let this   
woman out of her life.  
  
As they lay together after completion, Sheba finally got the courage to   
voice another question. "What about Starbuck?"  
  
Cassie laughed. "I was just trying to replace your father, dear. Starbuck   
is so much like him. But he wasn't what I wanted. I wasn't what he   
wanted. We were smart enough to see that before we did anything we'd regret."  
  
"Like being Sealed?" She shuddered at the thought that she'd have missed   
knowing this amazing woman.  
  
"Like being Sealed."  
  
"I'm glad." That didn't even begin to express what Sheba felt. But it   
would have to do.  
  
"Me too." Cassie answered back, understanding what Sheba was trying to say.  
  
The contented pair drifted off to sleep, with the sure knowledge that   
they'd never be alone again. 


End file.
